Organising Events with Moor Care and Less Wear
National Parks are very special places designated for their great natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage, and the opportunities they provide for quiet enjoyment. Please think carefully about whether your event is appropriate for such an area and whether a location outside the National Park is more suitable.
The following guidelines have been produced by Dartmoor National Park Authority with the aim of ensuring that events within the National Park are well planned, well located and well organised. Such planning and care is vital to conserve the natural and cultural environment, and to prevent conflict with the interests of farmers and local communities and other people using the Moor. Please contact the National Park Recreation Section during the early planning stages of your event, bearing the following guidelines in mind.
1 Plan your event well in advance
Allow time to obtain permissions and for proper consultation with other interested parties.
Much of the high moorland of Dartmoor is designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), and organised recreation events on these areas will normally require approval from English Nature. It is a legal requirement that you give English Nature four months prior notice of your proposed activity.
Initial contact with Dartmoor National Park Authority four to six months before the event takes place should give adequate time to talk to other parties and ensure that important wildlife sites and vulnerable routes are avoided. You will be asked to complete a Recreational Event Record Form and may be asked to alter the location of your event if certain areas are considered overused or support wildlife sensitive to disturbance at certain times of the year.
The Dartmoor National Park Authority will undertake liaison with English Nature for you if sufficient prior notice of the event is given.
Care must also be taken not to damage the large number of historical and archaeological sites within the National Park, over 1000 of which are protected by law. If you are uncertain about any sites Dartmoor National Park Authority’s Archaeology Section will be able to advise you.
2 Obtain permission from all landowners and, if on common land, consult the local Commoners’ Associations
Dartmoor National Park Authority’s Recreation Section will be able to help you with relevant contact numbers and addresses, inform you of any other interested parties, and advise you on suitable dates to avoid clashing with another event.
3 Ensure that your event is compatible with the conservation of the environment
Damage to the landscape or to archaeological sites, and disturbance of wildlife, within the National Park is unacceptable and noisy events will not normally be accepted. Consider whether alternative locations outside the National Park, might be more suitable.ight to stop events that are not appropriate. If prior approval from English Nature (via DNPA), for events on SSSI areas, has not been received, any damage caused to the ecological interest of these areas may result in prosecution under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
4 Plan your event to avoid the lambing and bird breeding season, and all Bank Holidays
The Authority will NOT normally support events organised between 1 March to 15 July inclusive, when animals and ground nesting birds are particularly sensitive to disturbance. To prevent disappointment please avoid planning to hold an event during this time. Bank Holidays should also be avoided when informal recreation on Dartmoor is at its busiest and an event would risk problems of congestion and shortage of parking etc.
5 Put the environment first when considering transport arrangements
Keep car usage to a minimum. If participants are likely to require motorised transport to and from the event, please try to tie in with public transport. Alternatively, encourage car sharing and/or look into minibus hire. Please do all you can to limit congestion and demand for parking. The interests of local communities, local farmers and other visitors to Dartmoor must be safeguarded.
For DevonBus enquiries, please ring
Exeter (01392) or Barnstaple (01271) 382800 (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm).
6 Place a specific limit on entry numbers to ensure that car parking and other arrangements are adequate
A pre-entry booking system is required, and there must be no blanket advertising of the event. Strict guidelines cannot be given on suitable numbers because this will depend upon many factorsincluding the type of event and time of year. Each will be considered on its merits.
7 Complete your Recreational Event Record Form as fully as possible providing a map of the proposed route and details of arrangements for any overnight stops
These details will be considered by the National Park Authority’s Ecology and Archaeology Sections and the Ranger Service and we will advise you of any problems associated with the event. Special arrangements should be made for overnight stops; here too the Ranger Service can advise.
8 Ensure that traffic control, and emergency and rescue arrangements are finalised with the police, the Dartmoor Rescue Group and the Dartmoor National Park Authority
Also ensure adequate insurance cover is in place. Vehicular access to off-road checkpoints is prohibited unless authorised by the landowner.
9 Ensure that any refreshments are available to participants only
Do not interfere or conflict with any legal vending or local shops and try to encourage use of local services.
10 Please adhere to the Dartmoor Commons
Byelaws and the Country Code Organisers must ensure that all participants adhere to the Dartmoor Commons byelaws and the Country Code throughout the event. Copies are available from the Dartmoor National Park Authority’s offices at Bovey Tracey and National Park Information Centres.
Please remember
Conservation of the environment will always take precedence if conflict arises. All land within the National Park is privately owned and permission must be obtained from the landowner before any event takes place. The landowner has the right to stop events that are not appropriate.
Much of the high moorland within the National Park is registered common land. The Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 
(123KB - PDF Help gives a legal right of access to the commons on foot or on horseback but these rights do not extend to organised events on the commons. A set of Byelaws relating to the Dartmoor Commons has been approved by the Home Office to regulate access. Of particular relevance is the need to get authorisation from the National Park Authority for any entertainment or commercial activity carried out on the commons or other access land. Other regulated activities include parking, camping, lighting fires, dog walking and anything deemed to cause erosion or damage to the land. Common and access land are edged in purple on the Ordnance Survey map -
Outdoor Leisure 28, Dartmoor 1:25000.
Many local farmers have rights over the common land, particularly for grazing, and these interests must be respected. For most areas a local Commoners’ Association exists and the National Park Recreation Section can advise on which Association to contact.
Please remember
The moorland lambing and main bird breeding season is 1 March to 15 July - this is when animals and ground nesting birds are most prone to disturbance. The lambing season on enclosed farmland is 1 December to 30 June.
Dartmoor is rich in archaeological remains and many sites are protected by law. It is an offence under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 to damage or disturb these in any way. Learn how to recognise archaeological features - never move stones, dig, light fires or bivouac in or around archaeological sites.
Each year brings an increase in the number, scale and range of events taking place. Your event is one of many. The National Park Authority will offer advice to the organisers of appropriately planned, located and organised events in order to prevent conflict with and disturbance to wildlife, landowners, commoners, local communities and other users. Your co-operation is needed and appreciated.
